MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has officially elevated her legal battle to the Supreme Court, filing a petition to stop the ongoing impeachment proceedings against her in the House of Representatives.
In a 58-page petition for certiorari and prohibition filed late Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Duterte argued that the process is “unconstitutional” and should be declared void from the start (void ab initio). The move comes as the House Committee on Justice enters what lawmakers describe as the “probable cause stage” of the impeachment complaints.
The Vice President’s legal team contends that the House of Representatives committed grave abuse of discretion during the initial stages of the process. Key arguments in the petition include:
- Procedural Flaws: Duterte claims the House failed to act as a collective body when referring the complaints to the Committee on Justice. Instead, the referral was performed by the Committee on Rules, which she argues violates Section 3(2), Article XI of the 1987 Constitution.
- Violation of the One-Year Ban: The petition asserts that two specific complaints—the Saballa and Cabrera complaints—violated the constitutional rule that prohibits more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a one-year period.
- “Mini-Trial” Encroachment: Duterte accused the House committee of overstepping its bounds by conducting what the chairperson described as a “mini-trial,” a function she argues belongs exclusively to the Senate.
- Double Standards: The Vice President alleged “double standards” in how the House handled complaints against her compared to those filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Duterte is asking the High Tribunal for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and a writ of preliminary injunction to immediately freeze the proceedings.
Beyond halting the current case, the petition seeks to strike down specific sections of the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings adopted by the 20th Congress, calling them unconstitutional.
The petition describes the House proceedings as a “clear fishing expedition” that violates the Vice President’s rights to due process, equal protection, and the presumption of innocence.
“The proceedings conducted by respondent Committee on Justice remarkably show grave abuse of discretion and reek of double standards,” the petition stated.
The Supreme Court’s decision on whether to issue a TRO will be a pivotal moment for the administration, as the political rift between the nation’s top two leaders continues to widen amidst a backdrop of regional energy and economic crises.